Friends
by Batya
Summary: Eli-centric and a little angsty. rated T because whatever. contains an OC but nothing romantic. expect some fun nerdy references


**So I just wrote this on the spot for no particular reason.**

**Oh well I think it turned out cute**

**Disclaimer: don't own SGU and can't wait for the next episode**

Sometimes as Eli sat alone in his room staring at the walls of his new home he wondered if Destiny could think. Not like a computer thinks but like a living being.

That was of course couched among thoughts of whether 42 really is the answer to life the universe and everything, whether dinosaurs can really come through time space anomalies, and of course whatever happened in that awesome new James Cameron movie. It had blue people!

But he did wonder sometimes about Destiny…

It might be his imagination though…and that comes with loneliness right? It could just be his desperation for some sort of companionship. Everybody on the ship is always scheming and plotting. Suddenly battle lines are drawn and everybody forces Eli to choose a side. And when things get rough people generally just demand answers for their problems from him and then forget about him.

Even Scott…and Chloe. Eli is the sort of person that doesn't stand out. If it weren't for his brains he would be part of the wallpaper. And his own brilliance is another separating factor. Most people are threatened by it. A lot of people were rude to Eli when he came up with an answer that eluded them.

On days like today Eli couldn't help but wonder. If there was no crisis occurring and he got ejected from an airlock floating off into space would anybody even notice? Probably not.

With that thought in mind Eli gloomily got up off his cot to explore. He didn't need to do anything today but he was bored and miserable. Maybe Chloe would hang out with him…

So Eli headed out and began aimlessly wandering corridors.

His idea about Destiny having a mind wasn't completely ridiculous. It just felt like sometimes Destiny was testing them. Some planets had water or food and others like the planet with the worms that killed half the crew in an alternate timeline seemed like some sort of test. Sometimes Eli thought the ship was testing them to see if they were worthy.

Somebody bumping into him jerked him out of his thoughts

"Oops sorry!" he said moments after she did.

The girl wore civilian clothes so she was a scientist. About his age…and she was cute! The minute he thought that he looked down at the floor as silence reigned.

All the sudden the doors on both ends of the corridor whirred into life and slammed shut. Both of them gaped at the doors for a moment before she exclaimed

"Oh right I have a walkie talkie!" as she fumbled in her bag for it he studied her. She was a petit girl. Thin, a little shorter than he was. She had green eyes and dark hair. The moment she glanced up with a victorious smile, walkie talkie in hand he just grinned awkwardly and nodded.

"Hello, Rachel here, Me and Eli are trapped in a corridor. The doors shut on their own"

"Wait you know my name?" Eli interrupted. She gave him a look like 'are you serious?' and Eli looked down muttering

"oh right" there was silence while she waited for a response"

"Hello Rachel, this is Colonel Young I will go get Rush to take a look. Young out." Once her walkie talkie was silent they just stood there for a moment. Eli went to each door and check for any buttons or any kind of interface. It was all unresponsive.

He turned to face Rachel who was settling herself on the floor and going through her bag pulling out a small book. Eli froze at the sight of it.

"Is that…a manga?" Rachel glanced up at him

"You read manga?"

"Only everything I can get my hands on!" he said eagerly coming over as she showed him the cover page.

"Cowboy Bebop." She stated

"I didn't know they had a manga for that." He said as he sat beside her studying the small paperback.

"Yeah…after I finished the series I went and found these. I was going to finish reading on my next break at Icarus when all that craziness happened. Now I practically have it memorized" her voice wasn't too bitter but there was a hint of sadness. Eli sat thinking for a moment

"May I see it?" she handed it over gingerly, like the treasure it was. He studied the cover art.

"I just loved the show." He said as he turned it over to read the back

"I cried at the last episode" Rachel said with a little laugh

"Me too! Oh my god it was so tragic!" Eli exclaimed

"I know! Just that last word and then it was over!" she replied equally excited.

"Ok so you have amazing taste in anime…but…do you like Scifi?" Eli asked looking mock serious.

When soldiers arrived to slowly pry the doors open they could hear incessant chattering from the other side of the doors. Scott was there on the other side getting more amused as they overheard more of the conversation.

"You saw Serenity first!" Rachel exclaimed as though he committed sacrilege

"Yes and it was amazing and so I watched Firefly and bought the DVDs. But here'd the question. When you saw Serenity did you see the Sessions?" Eli asked

"No what is it?" she was happily in full nerd mode.

"oh my god I have it on my Ipod I can show you later! Its this video that Summer Glau and Joss Whedon put together of some stuff that happened while she was being tortured by the alliance."

"It must be sooo creepy" she said excitedly

"You have no idea"

"Ok guys are you alright in there?" Scott called through the doors.

"Yeah we are fine" Eli called back.

"No worries" Rachel added. Scott and Greer shared a look as the chatter resumed on the other end of the door.

"You have to show me that later! Oh and I have an episode of Star Trek on my Ipod!" she said

"Really which one?"

"Next Generation, when Picard, Guinan, and Ro are turned into kids"

"I love that one!"

As the soldiers eventually pried the doors open the pair looked almost sad that they had to go about their day. They thanked the guys who opened the door and then Rachel turned to him

"I have to head to the lab to help T.J." she said

"And I have to go see Rush" he replied

"But we can talk later at dinner. You try and can convince me that I have to watch the new Dr. Who when we get home." She grinned and waved as she headed off to where she was going and Eli went the other way.

Later as they argued the pros and cons of the third X-men movie Eli couldn't help but smile a little bigger. Rush said the power shorted out to those doors making them unresponsive but Eli had to think it was something more. Destiny helped him make a friend.

**Did you like?did you? review? it would make me so happy during the hell that is exams**

**and for those who were wondering at the beginning i referenced Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Primeval, and obviously Avatar(couldnt resist!)...**


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